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Making bread really isn't too hard -- but it is a lesson in patience -- and trust me, no one has ever accused me of being patient. The series of stretches and folds I can deal with, but the waiting around for several days to finally have warm, fluffy bread is beyond grating. For this reason, I shelved my favorite focaccia recipe for years despite it being delicious and a real crowd-favorite at dinner parties and book club meetings.
However, a few weeks ago, I hosted a wine night with a few of my best friends, and I really wanted to make a whipped ricotta with focaccia for dipping. It was already the morning of, though, and my go-to focaccia recipe requires overnight rest. Despite my lack of forethought, I found this same-day focaccia recipe and was blown away.
I've made my own tweaks to tailor it to my preferences, but below, I break down my super simple, same-day recipe that results in fluffy, classic-tasting bread that comes together in just a few hours.
Read more: Proof Dough and Bake Delicious Bread in Your Instant Pot
Tools and ingredients to get started
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Even if you've never made bread at home before, you still likely have all of the ingredients and tools needed to make this focaccia. Here's what you'll need to get started:
- One large bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Clear glass baking dish
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Bread flour
- Fast-acting instant yeast
- Honey (can swap for sugar)
- Kitchen towel
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Toppings: Your choice of rosemary, olives, onions, chives, herbs and so on.
Baking is certainly more of a science than an art, but you can still have some creativity in the tools or brands you use and when it comes to the toppings to dress up the focaccia.
For the instant yeast, I use Fleischmann's RapidRise Instant Yeast, which helps the dough rise quicker in a shorter amount of time. I also prefer to use King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour since it always results in light, airy bread.
As for the olive oil, you don't necessarily need a fancy, expensive brand to get that complex olive oil taste. I use a Danilo Manco extra virgin olive oil for my focaccia, but I've also used a standard, mild-tasting Pompeian olive oil, which is available at any supermarket yet still provides quality flavor.
Tools-wise, you also don't need anything high-end or special. You can use stainless steel, glass, ceramic or even plastic for your mixing bowl. All that matters is that it's large and round, allowing the bread to maintain structure while proofing, but also giving you enough room to get your hands in the bowl to work the dough.
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The best thing about focaccia is that it requires very little hands-on work. Combining all of the measuring, mixing, stretching and folding, you'll only be actively working on the bread for about 15 to 20 minutes. The rest is just the dough resting. In total, you'll be able to have delicious focaccia in about 3 hours. Here's how.
Start by pouring 1.75 cups (420 ml) of tepid water into your large bowl. Add 1.5 teaspoons of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1.5 teaspoons of sea salt. Mix together thoroughly.
Add 4 cups of bread flour. Mix until incorporated, cleaning off the sides of the bowl as you go, and your result is a lumpy, wet dough.
Throw a kitchen towel over the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Begin your first series of stretch and folds. Grab the top edge of the dough, pull it straight up several inches, then fold it over (like a taco), bringing the edge you're holding to the bottom edge of dough in the dough. Spin your bowl 90 degrees, and repeat your stretch and fold. Do this about five or six times.
Let your dough rest for another 15 minutes. Your dough should look much larger as the yeast works. Repeat the stretch and fold process for a second time.
Cover again, and let the dough rest at room temperature for an hour and a half.
About 5 minutes before your dough is done resting, prepare your baking dish. Many bakers will recommend metal baking dishes since they conduct heat better, but I've always had great results with glass (and I like to track how brown the sides are getting). I add about three tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom and sides of my glass tray to make sure the focaccia doesn't stick. You can line with parchment paper if you'd like, but it isn't necessary.
Next, carefully slide your dough out of the bowl into the prepared baking tray. Your dough should be large and mostly smooth.
Now, fold the dough into thirds for easy grabbing and flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up. You can gently flatten the dough out a little bit, but it's OK if the dough doesn't reach the edges of the baking tray yet. It'll get there.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a baking sheet and let it rest for one more hour. Don't worry, this is the last proof.
Now the fun part! It's my favorite step, and probably your favorite step, too, because it's time to dimple the focaccia. Your dough should be spread out to the edges of the pan, so stretching shouldn't be required at this step. Just simply cover your dough with a generous amount of olive oil and dimple to your heart's desire. Push your fingers all the way down into the dough to get those classic bubbles.
Add toppings at this point. I usually keep it simple with flaky salt, rosemary or cut olives, but you can get as creative as you'd like.
Bake on the lowest rack of your oven for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Check as you get close to see if your bread is nearing golden brown, and adjust your bake time accordingly.
And that's all you'll need to do for a simple, same-day focaccia. It may seem daunting at first, but this recipe really doesn't require much work and you'll get more comfortable with the stretch and fold technique each time you repeat it.
I like to serve my focaccia warm with a charcuterie board or my favorite whipped ricotta dip drizzled with honey and lemon -- and a bottle of red wine, of course.
For more kitchen tips, try this trick to make a poached egg in just 60 seconds and this method for cooking a whole chicken in the air fryer.